


At the Heart of the Desert

by FandomFanficsGalore



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, M/M, Possible smut later on, Slash, Slow Burn, Violence, Yaoi, confused gaara, m/m - Freeform, we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 12:36:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15340008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomFanficsGalore/pseuds/FandomFanficsGalore
Summary: A group of young genin were recently slain while on a field trip with their sensei. Signs point to the Land of Mist, so Hokage Naruto sends Shikamaru to find answers. His intelligence leads him to Kazekage Gaara and his sister, Temari–neither of which he’s seen since the chunin exams. During his stay, they all get more than they bargained for as Gaara is forced to face emotions and attractions he’s never felt before, and Shikamaru struggles to cling to his desire of a single, tie-free life. It doesn’t help that Temari has begun trying to play matchmaker for her younger brother’s sake.All the while, darkness is grows in the background, threatening the lives of Sand and Leaf.





	1. Chapter 1

 

* * *

          

            The office was peacefully quiet. Only the sound of shuffling papers and the occasional breeze ruffling the treetops outside breeched the silence, and Gaara appreciated it.

            It had been quite a while since he’d had to go to any meetings, and Gaara was enjoying the time to himself. He didn’t know why, but at this moment Gaara looked up from his work and glanced around his office. It was empty besides him. There were the two chairs, and the one couch in the corner that Temari had insisted on adding, and of course the desk at which he sat.

            There was no sign that it was or had ever been occupied other than the papers on his desk, and the folders within his drawers.

            A knock came from behind the door and Gaara immediately granted entrance.

            The door opened and Temari appeared, clad in her usual black skirt and netted shirt. They had both grown a lot in the past few years. They were both taller and had thinned out, though Temari’s curves had grown more obvious.

            She smiled at him, closing the door behind him, and Gaara subconsciously relaxed. He secretly appreciated Temari’s open and honest expressions; he always knew when there was an emergency and when there wasn’t, simply dependent on her expression.

            “Evening, Lord Kazekage,” Temari said.

            “Temari,” Gaara murmured, setting his elbows on the table and folding his hands together, “How many times have I told you to call me Gaara?”

            Temari paused, her eyes flitting to the ground.

            Old habits, Gaara noted. From before. From when everyone was terrified of him.

            Thankfully, she recovered fast and smiled.

            “Of course, Gaara,” she said, waving a hand. In her other, she raised a small white scroll. “I’m just here to drop this off and let you know that you’re having a visit tomorrow. A ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village.”

            “Is it Naruto?” Gaara asked automatically as she set the scroll before him. Temari shook her head.

            “No,” she said, “I’m not sure just who it is yet, but I wasn’t told that it was the Hokage, so it’s safe to assume that it’s not. He’ll be here at noon tomorrow to meet with you.”

            “About what?” Gaara asked, his curiosity piqued. It had been a while since he had heard anything from the Leaf Village. Naruto sent him the occasional message—he called it “catching up”, though Gaara was confused that he ever sent him anything when nothing important was going on.

            Still, it had been a few weeks since Naruto’s last message, and that was alarming for the odd Hokage.

            Again Temari shook her head.

            “I don’t know,” she said, crossing her arms and leaning on one hip, “Hopefully nothing too serious. It’s been peaceful for quite a while.”

            Gaara grunted in response.

            It was silent, but still Temari didn’t leave. Her brows had knitted together, which meant she was in deep thought. Gaara thought about waiting until she said something, but it grew late and he was tired, with still work to do, so he finally broke the silence.

            “Temari?” he asked, “Did you need something?”

            Temari nibbled her bottom lip, glancing around the office.

            “Don’t you think… you should get a cat or something?”

            Gaara stared at her.

            “…A cat?”

            “Yeah!” she said, smirking, “To spruce up the place. It’s just so… cold. You know? Maybe you should bring in a pet to liven the place up.”

            “Temari, this place is for work,” Gaara replied.

            Temari rolled her eyes.

            “I know, but still… it’s…. lonely.”

            The last word was murmured, timid. Gaara shook his head.

            “I’m not the person I used to be,” he muttered.

            Temari’s eyes found his.

            “I know that,” she insisted, “But still, Gaara… I want you to be happy. For your own sake. I just… worry. Don’t you have anyone that you’re… interested in? Even a little?”

            Gaara closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. This wasn’t the first time they’d had a conversation similar to this. Just last week, Kankuro had bothered him about finding someone, too.

            “No, there’s no one, and it’s really of no concern of mine,” Gaara said, “I’m perfectly at peace as things are now.”

            Temari hesitated, but Gaara picked up his pen and went back to work, signaling the end of the conversation. She sighed and turned away.

            “Okay,” she said, “If you’re sure, Gaara.”

            With that and a saunter, she disappeared behind his door, which closed with a small thud.

            Gaara successfully went back to work without a second thought. It was only once he was done with the paper work and had filed it away that he picked up the scroll and unlatched it.

            It was a brief outline that said basically what Temari had said—that someone would be coming by to have a meeting with him.

 

            _I’m sorry I can’t come myself, but the Leaf Village needs me now. I will make sure to visit you as soon as I can. In my place, I’m sending head analyzer Shikamaru Nara. He will arrive at noon tomorrow to explain the details I don’t feel comfortable placing here._

_See you soon, old friend._

_Naruto Uzamaki_

            Gaara’s brow furrowed. What could keep Naruto so busy at the Leaf Village that he wouldn’t be able to visit Gaara himself with vital information? As Temari said, these were peaceful times.

            Or so he’d thought.

            He examined the name of the Leaf ninja again. Shikamaru Nara. The name was vaguely familiar to him, but Gaara was too tired to think deep into it now.

            He rolled up the scroll, shutting and sealing it into one of his desk drawers before rising. Gaara left his office, sealing the door before padding down the hallway to his rooms. Gaara didn’t like to be far from his office, though others thought it odd. If something were to happen, or a break in were to occur, Gaara wanted to be the first to know.

            He slipped into his room and out of his clothes, sliding between his cool covers. Pale light from the moon shone in from the window on the other side of the room, facing the side of the bed.

            Gaara closed his eyes, expertly ignoring the empty, cold other side of the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

           

            The next morning, Gaara waited outside of his tower for the Leaf Village ninja with Temari at his side and several ninja behind him. The sun was high in the sky, and noon was setting when a familiar form appeared, walking slowly up the road.

            Beside him, Temari straightened, and he glanced at her curiously. A small smirk was on her face.

            “Well, well,” Temari murmured, “If it isn’t that guy.”

            Gaara ignored her comment and focused his eyes on the newcomer. As he came closer, the crest of the Hidden Leaf on his headband became visible. The man was about Gaara’s height, though could have been taller if he wasn’t so slouched, and his black hair was tied in a high ponytail. He had tan skin and a strong yet slim build to him, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

            The man stopped a few feet from them, and Gaara was struck by the absolute bored expression on the man’s face.

            “You’re actually on time,” Temari called, “If I’d known they were sending you, I would have told them not to bother to wait on you. Figure you might not show up until night fall.”

            The man—Shikamaru Nara—huffed and rubbed the back of his head.

            “Yeah, well… new job and all means I kind of have to be on time now,” Shikamaru muttered. His voice was low and scraggly. “What a drag.”

            It was then Gaara remembered. It was a faint memory; one hidden in the back of his mind. This was the boy from the Chunin exams—the one that had almost beat Temari.

            He was not a young boy any more, though, and those intelligent gray eyes turned to Gaara now.

             Shikamaru bowed slightly.

            “Lord Kazekage,” he greeted, “It’s been a while. You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Shikamaru Nara.”

            “I remember,” Gaara said, “From the Chunin exams.”

            “Yeah,” Shikamaru said with a shrug, “You almost killed me and Naruto.”

            There was silence. Shikamaru glanced around at the solemn faces and shuffled his feet.

            “O-kay,” he murmured, “Maybe shouldn’t have said that. Well, before this gets any more awkward, can we get to business already?”

            Gaara nodded, grateful for Shikamaru’s quick thinking.

            “Of course,” he agreed, “Right this way. Temari, stay with me. The rest of you, go back to your duties.”

            There was a chorus of, “yes, sir” and the rest of the ninja took off, leaving only the three.

            They walked back into Gaara’s tower, Gaara taking the lead while the other two trailed after him.

            “So, what have you been up to?” Temari asked conversationally, “Have you found a pretty girl yet? Settled down?”

            “Nah,” Shikamaru said, “Women are too much work.”

            It was the normal drabble that Temari usually talked about, but Gaara found himself drawn to the conversation, anyway, as they walked up the winding steps of his tower.

            “A man, then?” Temari asked. Gaara halted and whipped around.

            The others didn’t notice, since Shikamaru was staring at Temari with a raised eyebrow.

            “What?” Shikamaru snapped, “What makes you say that?”

            Temari smirked and waved a hand.

            “Oh, nothing, just trying to make conversation,” she said airily. She turned and her eyes widened to find Gaara staring at her.

            “Hmm? Gaara?”

            “Enough idle chatter,” Gaara said, turning away, “We have matters to discuss. Right, Nara?”

            “Right,” Shikamaru answered.

            They entered Gaara’s office, where two ninja were waiting to guard the door. As soon as it was closed, Gaara settled into his chair, lacing his fingers together and setting his elbows on the desk. Temari took the chair across to Gaara’s right, and Shikamaru sunk into the one on the left.

            “So I’m guessing you read Naruto’s message?” Shikamaru asked. Gaara nodded. Temari glanced between the two.

            “I didn’t, so could someone fill me in?”

             “Naruto didn’t say much because he wanted to keep it vague in case it was intercepted, so I’ll just tell you what I know,” Shikamaru began, and Gaara found himself paying very close attention to the way his voice rose and fell, and the sharp look in his eye that replaced the laziness from before.

            Both Gaara and Temari nodded, and Shikamaru went on.

            “A few weeks ago while out on a mission, a teacher and some Genin students were attacked and killed,” he said, his expression hardening, “It was supposed to be a C rank mission, nothing complicated. They were just escorting this normal old woman back home to the Land of Mist.”

            “What does this have to do with us?” Gaara said, and something odd happened to his stomach when those gray eyes met his. It was like they saw right through him. Could those eyes see what was happening to Gaara? What was that feeling in his stomach? That squirming, uncomfortable feeling? It set him on edge.

            “I’m getting to that,” Shikamaru said, his eyes keeping Gaara’s gaze before sliding over to Temari.

            Relief settled Gaara for just a moment, but then something else wormed its way into his chest. What was happening to him? All of these… feelings? It was making it hard for him to concentrate. Had he been poisoned?

            He ran through everything he had done, saw, eaten, and drank, but it was impossible. There was no way anyone could have slipped him something.

            Gaara closed his eyes for a brief moment, and when he opened them, he found Temari watching him. There was an odd, indescribable look on her face. It was like a cross between curiosity and… something else. Awe?

            Shikamaru was still talking, and Gaara turned back to the ninja, determined to pay attention.

            “…leading us to believe that the genin and their teacher were killed by shinobi of the Mist.”

            “But why would they do such a thing?” Temari asked, “And to merely genin, too? How could they pose a threat?”

            Shikamaru shook his head.

            “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Shikamaru said, “I think it could be a message. Of course, genin typically aren’t a threat, especially on their own or even with just a teacher. The only logical reason would be that it was sending a message to the Leaf Village. A warning, or maybe a threat. The reason we’re here is because one of the genin had ties to the Sand village. Their mother lived here before moving to the Leaf Village and meeting the father.”

            “So you want information on the mother,” Gaara guessed. Gray eyes turned to him again, and Shikamaru nodded. But Gaara was prepared for the sensation this time, and he quelled the feeling, keeping Shikamaru’s eye contact.

            “Not just that, but Naruto wanted to make sure that the message wasn’t directed to the Sand village, as well,” Shikamaru explained, “After all, there are groups of genin from the Leaf that go in and out of that village all of the time. We can’t just assume that this particular group being killed was just a coincidence.”

             Temari shook her head.

            “What kind of animal attacks children?” she murmured.

            Shikamaru shook his head.

            “Some kind of sadist, that’s for sure,” Shikamaru said. The bored look was coming back on his face. He leaned back in his chair, raising a leg and setting his ankle on his knee. “I know a few shinobi in the Leaf who wouldn’t be able to stomach killing genin, even on an order.”

            “So what do you need from us?” Gaara asked.

            “Well, a few things,” Shikamaru said, raising a hand to count them off, “First, I’d like to track down the mother’s history, with your help and permission. Second, if you have any information or reason to believe that the Land of Mist would want to start a war with any of the other villages, that could be handy. Anything else…?”

            Shikamaru frowned a bit before humming.

            “Oh yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “A place to stay would be great. I’m supposed to stay until Naruto summons me back. Just point me to the nearest hotel.”

            “I can help you with the mother, so long as you have her full name and, preferably, more details such as date of birth—“ Gaara began.

            Shikamaru pulled a scroll out of his front pocket and leaned forward, holding it out. Gaara took it, his fingertips brushing Shikamar’s warm ones. Instinctively Gaara snatched his hand back and the scroll dropped onto the desk.

            Shikamaru blinked and Temari was watching him again with wide eyes.

            “Uh…” Shikamaru said, drawing back his hand to rub the back of his neck again, “That has everything we have about the mother. It’s not much, but that’s why I need your help tracking down more information.”

            Gaara simply nodded, holding his hands in his lap. The tips of his fingers tingled. What was wrong with him?

            Finally, he cleared his throat, forcing himself to focus.

            “I have not been told of anything to do with the Land of Mist,” he said, “but I will keep an ear out from now on.”

            Shikamaru nodded.

            “As for living arrangements…” Gaara began.

            “There’s an extra room here,” Temari said.

            Both men turned to her with wide eyes. She smiled, unbothered by their gaze. There was a glint in her eye that Gaara was not too fond of.

            “You guys will be having to talk a lot over the next few days, until Shikamaru leaves,” she said, nodding to the Leaf ninja, “So you might as well stay in close quarters, save you a trip.”

            Shikamaru turned to Gaara, but Gaara stared at his sister. Temari grinned at him, and his eyes narrowed.

            Finally, he held in a sigh and nodded.

            “That seems fine,” he said.

             “You sure?” Shikamaru said, raising an eyebrow, and went on at Gaara’s gaze, “Not saying I don’t want to! It’s fine. Yeah, sure, I’ll stay… here…”

            Temari clapped her hands together, startling both men.

            “It’s settled, then,” she said, “It’s getting late, so maybe we should save the rest for tomorrow. I’ll see you guys bright and early.”

            She stood and the men followed in her lead. Temari turned to Shikamaru with a smile.

            “Nice to see you again, lazy ass,” she said.

            Shikamaru huffed, a small smirk on his lips.

            “Yeah, likewise, troublesome woman,” he muttered.

            Temari began to leave, but Gaara called out to her.

            “Let me walk you,” Gaara said, and his eyes slid to Shikamaru, “I’ll be right back.”

            Shikamaru shrugged, lacing his fingers behind his head.

            “No problem, take your time.”

            Gaara walked Temari out of the room, ignoring her probing gaze as he walked her to the end of the hall and stopped.

            “Gaara…?” she asked.

            “I believe there’s something wrong with me,” Gaara murmured. Temari frowned, her eyes scoping up and down him for sign of injury.

            “What do you…?”

            “Here,” he said, placing a hand on his stomach.

            To his confusion, Temari’s concern grew to a smile, then a grin.

            “What? What is it?” Gaara asked.

            “When did it start?” Temari asked.

            “Right after Nara arrived—“ Gaara frowned, “Do you think he could have….?”

            Temari was already shaking her head, a grin still in place.

            “He didn’t slip you anything, trust me, someone would have noticed,” Temari said, “You’ll be fine, Gaara. It’s… a normal, human reaction, that’s all.”

            Gaara frowned.

            “What?”

            Temari waved a hand.

            “I’ll let you figure that out on your own. Goodnight, Gaara.”

            Gaara watched her walk away, even more confused than before. Eventually he made his way back to his office, nodding to his guards, and stepped inside.

            A quick glance around the room and his eyes landed on Shikamaru on the couch in the corner. He lay with his hands behind his back and his eyes closed, gently snoring. Gaara stared at him a moment in utter confusion.

            Surely no shinobi Naruto trusted enough to send with critical information would be so careless to fall asleep on someone’s couch.

            Gaara glanced around the room again, making sure the man on the couch wasn’t a clone of some sort, and the other was hiding. A quick but thorough look around assured him that there was none, and he turned to the man on the couch, confounded.

            “What am I supposed to do now?” Gaara murmured. Slowly, he reached a hand out. His fingers drifted just above Shikamaru’s chest before a hand snatched his wrist.

            Gray eyes found his and Gaara’s body stiffened, ready to defend himself.

            “You can start by showing me my room, since you so graciously invited me to live with you for a few days,” Shikamaru said, his voice deep with tiredness. Gaara glared at him and pulled his wrist free, ignoring the fact that it was burning.

            “I thought you were sleeping,” he stated.

            Shikamaru yawned and sat up, stretching his arms above his head.

            “I was,” he muttered, and rose. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and blinked at Gaara. “So… bedroom?”

            Gaara nodded and turned, leading Shikamaru out of the office. He walked fast, and heard Shikamaru following a few steps behind. Gaara walked past his own bedroom to the very end of the hall and opened the door. He stepped in, flicking on the light, and moved aside for Shikamaru to enter.

            The room was almost never used except for Temari or Kankuro, when they made their reports and were too tired to go back to their own homes. It was simple, with a bed in the middle, a window on the far side, a dressed, and a closet.

            “Bathroom?” Shikamaru asked.

            “Next door,” Gaara said, pointing to the door between their rooms. Shikamaru nodded and raised a hand to cover his yawn.

            “Alright, well, thanks,” Shikamaru said, kicking off his shoes, “I’m beat, so… I’ll see you in the morning?”

            Gaara nodded.

            “I will clear my morning schedule so that we can start our work immediately,” he said, already rearranging it in his head.

            Shikamaru hummed.

            “Alright, then. ‘Night.”

            Gaara didn’t move. He didn’t know why, but he just couldn’t. Shikamaru turned back to him and raised an eyebrow.

            “Uh… unless you plan to join me?” Shikamaru asked in a light tone.

            Gaara’s eyes widened and he stepped back, slamming the door closed.

            He stood there a minute, staring at the wood door. What possessed him to do that? What was with all of these strong reactions? Gaara shook his head, angry at himself. He turned away and went back to his office to reactivate the seals and then retired to his room.

            As he undressed and slipped into bed, he couldn’t keep his mind off of the shinobi in the other room. He placed a hand on his stomach, frowning.

           What were these silly feelings, tugging at his body?

           Gaara shook his head, forcing all thoughts from his mind and turning over, willing himself to sleep.

 

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: violence, mild gore

 

* * *

 

 

 

By morning, Gaara still hadn’t determined the source of his body’s ailments, but decided to ignore them. If Temari said it was nothing to be concerned about, then he would no longer worry about it.

            He got dressed and made his way to his office. Gaara unsealed the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. The office was empty and peaceful, as always. Gaara moved to his desk, sinking into his chair, and immediately called for one of his guards.

            “Tell all those I had meetings with this morning that something important came up, and we will have to reschedule,” Gaara stated, “You can find out who my meetings were with from Temari.”

            “Sir,” the ninja said in confirmation. He disappeared just before there was a knock on the door.

            “Come in,” Gaara said.

            The door opened and Shikamaru stepped in, kicking the door shut behind him with his heel.

            “Morning,” Shikamaru greeted, trying unsuccessfully to cover a yawn.

            “Nara,” Gaara returned, “Sit. Renji?”

            Immediately a red haired ninja appeared in the center of the room, between the other two ninja.

            “Sir,” he said, bowing his head.

            “Here,” Gaara said, offering the scroll Shikamaru had given him earlier, “I want you to find all records of this woman and bring them to me as soon as you can.”

            The man took the scroll with another nod and disappeared.

            Shikamaru blinked before slinking over and slipping into the chair across from Gaara, the same one he had sat in yesterday.

            “Must be nice,” Shikamaru said, “Having everyone at your command like that.”

            Gaara observed Shikamaru.

            “…It helps get things done,” he said, “Though you don’t seem the kind of person to want that.”

            Shikamaru raised an eyebrow in question, and Gaara went on.

            “You don’t seem…”

            “Motivated?” Shikamaru asked, lacing his fingers behind his head. Gaara was silent, and Shikamaru took this as confirmation, nodding. “Yeah, so I’ve heard.”

            It was silent for a long moment. 

            “So, it’s been a while,” Shikamaru began, gazing at the wall, “How has it been?”

            “…Successful, for the most part,” Gaara said.

            Shikamaru nodded.

            “Naruto told me all about what happened after the Chunin exams, and how you became Kazekage,” Shikamaru said, his eyes finding Gaara, “I’m surprised. I never thought I’d have the chance to see for myself.”

            His eyes swept down Gaara and back up, and something about the simple, innocent movement made Gaara’s spine tingle. In his lap, his fingers curled into fists, and he once again ignored his body’s odd reactions.

            “A lot of things have changed,” Gaara stated.

            Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, and Gaara didn’t miss the fact that he glanced at Gaara’s hand.

            “So… you settled down with anyone?” Shikamaru asked, and his face turned pink, “It’s just… Temari and me talked about it, so I thought I might as well ask you—“

            “No,” Gaara said, “Temari and Kankuro have both bothered me about it, but I have no interest in such things.”

            Shikamaru shrugged.

            “Yeah,” Shikamaru murmured, “Makes sense. You’re into your work, and all that.”

            Gaara nodded, relaxing. Even someone as lazy as this man understood.

There was another knock on the door and Gaara granted entrance to Temari, who grinned at the sight of Shikamaru and, after closing the door, sank into the chair next to his.

            Shikamaru lifted his head, and Temari turned to Gaara.

            “All of your meetings agreed to reschedule,” she said, “I’ll have the new schedule ready for you by tomorrow. Also, there’s matters I have to attend to, so I can’t stay long.”

            Gaara nodded.

            “Thank you, Temari,” he murmured. He felt Nara glance at him, and met those gray eyes with his own.

            Shikamaru looked away, scratching the back of his neck.

            “I just requested information on the Leaf genin’s mother,” Gaara said, “So we should have what we need to begin our search soon. In the meantime, Temari, when you find the opportunity, I’d like to know if any of my shinobi have visited the Land of Mist lately. Do not let them now why I’m inquiring.”

            Temari nodded.

            “Got it.”

            There was a knock on the door and the red haired ninja from before entered, a box of scrolls in his hands.

             “Sir,” he said, “There were a few women fitting the description you gave, so I brought all of the ones similar, sir.”

            Gaara inclined his head.

            “Very well. Set it down. Shikamaru, we will get started immediately.”

            The ninja set the box on Gaara’s desk, bowed, and disappeared.

Temari rose and stretched.

            “That’s my cue,” Temari said, “I’ll start questioning people right away. See you later. Gaara, Shikamaru.”

            “Bye,” Shikamaru tossed out, and Temari disappeared.

            Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck and tugged his seat forward.

            “Alright… let’s get started.”

           

* * *

 

 

            For a while they shuffled through the scrolls and papers in silence. Occasionally Gaara would offer one for Shikamaru to review, before Shikamaru turned down a minor fact that was incorrect and tossed it aside. They went on like this for hours.

            The sun was just beginning to lower—just after noon—when Shikamaru finally spoke.

            “Oh yeah,” he said, causing Gaara’s eyes to flicker up at him, “Naruto says hi, by the way.”

            They stared at each other in silence. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged.

            “He told me to tell you, that’s all,” Shikamaru said, “I forgot about it ‘til now.”

            “He just sent me a letter saying the same thing,” Gaara stated.

            Shikamaru shrugged again.

            “You know how he is,” Shikamaru said.

            Gaara hummed.

            “It’s been a while since I’ve seen him, but yes,” Gaara said, “He sends me a message almost every week, even when there’s nothing that requires my immediate attention. That is the only reason I suspected something was wrong before you appeared.”

            Shikamaru nodded, chuckling a bit.

            “Yeah, well,” he said, “You and him are friends, right? Friends keep in contact with each other, and all that troublesome business.”

            That made Gaara pause. Him and Naruto… friends? Naruto may have mentioned the word to him before, but Gaara didn’t think much of it. He couldn’t have been addressing Gaara as such. But now that he thought about it.

            Shikamaru was frowning at him, a thin black eyebrow raised.

            “…You do know he considers you a friend, right?” Shikamaru asked, “For that matter… you know what a friend is, right?”

            Gaara hesitated.

            “I… know the concept,” he said. Shikamaru eyed him before shrugging.

            “Well, if you ever have a question about it, just look at Naruto,” Shikamaru said, rubbing the back of his neck, “Everyone’s practically that guy’s friend.”

            “So friends keep contact with each other even though they have nothing of importance to talk about?” Gaara asked, frowning.

            Shikamaru returned it.

            “I mean… How you’re doing is important. That’s kinda what makes you friends. You care what happens to each other.”

            Gaara fell silent, and Shikamaru breathed a small sigh of what seemed like relief. They continued searching in silence, deep in their own thoughts.

             “I think I found it.”

            Gaara looked up from the paper he was reading and held out a hand. Shikamaru handed him the paper he was looking at and Gaara scanned it over.

            It was the correct name, date of birth, spouse, family history, and her child was born the same date and gender as the killed genin.

            Gaara nodded.

            “This is her,” Gaara said, and called out to the ninja beyond the door. In a blink, the red haired ninja appeared again. Gaara held out the piece of paper.

            “Find out everything you can on this woman and bring it back to me, and only me,” Gaara stated.

            “Sir.” The ninja disappeared.

            Shikamaru stretched his arms above his head, arching his back. Gaara watched the move with an odd fascination.

            The leaf ninja blinked blearily at him.

            “So… what now?” he asked.

            _BOOM!_

            The room rattled and both ninja jumped to their feet.

            “What was that?” Shikamaru exclaimed, his eyes sharp and all signs of fatigue gone. Gaara’s expression hardened. His door flew open and two of his ninja ran in.

            “Sir! There’s been an attack on the east side of the village!” the short one with dark hair yelled.

            “We heard rumors that it was ninja from the Mist, sir!”

            “Send all immediate ninja to the east,” Gaara announced, “All those already within the village must help evacuate the women and children into the lower tunnels.  The rest of you, with me.”

            “Sir!” both said.

            Gaara glanced at Shikamaru.

            “You can stay here,” he stated, and flitted off. He ran down the hall and leapt out of one of the upper windows, flanked by his guards. Seconds later, out of the corner of his eye, he saw green and turned to see Shikamaru next to him, brows furrowed.

            “I can help,” Shikamaru said.

            They landed on the roof of the nearest building and immediately kicked off again. Gaara observed him for a moment.

            “Fine,” he said, his eyes sliding back to the front. A few miles before them, he could see a large plume of smoke and sand. “Just don’t get in my way.”

            They flitted across the tops of houses and soon saw people in the streets running their way, screaming. They were soon joined by Sand shinobi who directed them off to the left. Shikamaru guessed they were going to the underground hideout Gaara had mentioned.

            As they drew closer and closer to the large pillar of smoke, they pushed themselves faster. They could hear screams and crashes

            “Sir, there!” one of the shinobi behind them called out, motioning to their left. There was a woman half buried under her fallen house, covered in blood and crying out.

            “Go,” Gaara instructed, and the shinobi left. They kept going when suddenly the shinobi behind Shikamaru gave a cry, and his footsteps did not follow them any more.

            Shikamaru glanced behind him to see the shinobi collapsed on a roof, a kunai embedded in his chest and another in his eye.

            The Leaf ninja suppressed a shudder and gazed around, trying to find their attacker. He and Gaara stopped on the roof, hands up and ready to form hand signs at a moment’s notice.

            Shikamaru then became aware of children—several of them—screaming. It came from further up the road, near the plume of smoke and sand. He could see now that there was a large crater where part of the wall around the city was, and several homes were in ruin or gone completely.

            Still, he couldn’t see what had done it.

            “Do you hear the kids?” Shikamaru asked.

            “Yes.”

            A kunai flew at Shikamaru’s face and he easily deflected it with his own, taking a step backwards. He bumped into Gaara’s back and remained still. Neither of them moved.

            Shikamaru traced the kunai’s path back, but all he could see was thin air. There weren’t trees to hide in, and all of the roofs were the same height. His eyes narrowed as he squinted at the sun.

            “Move,” Gaara muttered at the same time Shikamaru felt hands on his hips.

            Gaara yanked him off the roof a second before it collapsed inward with a crunch, as if someone had stepped on it. They landed lightly on a house two back from that one, taking a moment to catch their breath.

            Gaara’s arm was still around Shikamaru’s waist, and he tried to glance at the Sand ninja, but couldn’t see the shorter man directly behind him. Gaara’s arm slipped away.

             “What was that?” Shikamaru asked, squinting.

            “They are using genjutsu,” Gaara said, “To cover themselves.”

            “How can you see it?” Shikamaru asked.

            “The sand.”

            Shikamaru frowned. Gaara’s arm snaked around his waist again and yanked back. Again, seconds after his foot left the roof, the house collapsed. This time, as they were landing, Shikamaru trained his eye on the collapsed roof. At first he didn’t see anything, but then there was a shimmer in the air.

            The sand.

            The sand was sticking to the… creature. Whatever it was.

            “I get it now,” Shikamaru muttered. Once they landed on the roof and Gaara had drawn his arm away, Shikamaru pulled out several kunai and launched them at the shimmering sand. They landed and stuck, followed by a loud screech that shook the ground.

            _What_ was _this thing?_ Shikamaru thought as he covered his ears. He glanced behind him at Gaara, who stared at the creature without a change on his face. Of course he’d be unaffected.

            “It’s powerful, but slow,” Shikamaru said, “With the two of us, we should be able to take it down easily.”

            _Although_ , he thought, glancing around, _I don’t know where this thing’s master is… That could pose as a problem._

            “No,” Gaara said, and Shikamaru turned to him. The Kazekage had not taken his eyes from the invisible creature. “I can handle this myself. Go find those children and help the shinobi herd them away from the fight.”

            Part of Shikamaru wanted to protest, but in the end, he nodded.

            “Right. Okay.”

            Shikamaru took off.

            Gaara stared down the beast, watching how the sand shimmered and glinted in the sun. He raised his hands and made a sign.

            Shikamaru followed the panicked screams and soon found the source. The front of the school had been blown apart, and the children were all huddled, shaking and crying, behind only one sensei. Where the rest were, Shikamaru wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

            The sensei’s forehead was bleeding badly, her left eye almost sealed shut, and she was littered with bruises. Before her was a shinobi—from just one look Shikamaru guessed that he was at least jounin level.

            He had long dark hair flowing down to his waist and hard gray eyes. He held a long sword in his right hand and had a confident smile on his face.

            “Now, sensei,” he scolded in a gravelly voice, “Just step aside. Let the little monsters accept their fate.”

Some of the students cried out, and the sensei’s face hardened, her fingers tightening over the hilt of the kunai she held.

The man’s lips stretched into a grin.

“So be it, then,” he snarled, “I’ll just have to go through you.”

He lunged.

Without conscious thought, Shikamaru moved.

Metal clashed.

The man hissed and leapt back, and the children shrieked. Shikamaru glared at the man from his place in front of the sensei.

“S-Shinobi,” the woman breathed.

“It’s alright,” Shikamaru stated, “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

The man before him laughed.

“Look at this,” he crooned, “Playing it cool. Hmm? What’s this? You’re from the Leaf, too?” He held up his hand, and Shikamaru froze. Shikamaru’s headband was in his fingers.

How? When?

The man grinned, as if guessing Shikamaru’s thoughts.

“Quicker than I look,” he said, tossing the headband over his shoulder. Shikamaru’s eyes hardened and he lowered the kunai, making a hand sign.

Beneath him, his shadow thickened and stretched. For the moment, the man didn’t seem to notice yet. He just had to keep him talking.

“I don’t see a headband anywhere,” Shikamaru said, “Where are you from and why are you attacking this village?”

“I’m what you could call freelance,” the man stated, twirling his kunai. Shikamaru didn’t risk a glance down for fear of the man noticing, but he could tell that his shadow was close. “But I have a question. What is a shinobi of the Leaf doing here in the Sand? Hmm? Have some pretty girl keeping you warm at night?”

For some reason, Shikamaru’s mind flashed back to his and Gaara’s conversation the other night. Maybe he should try and find that guy a date. Of course, with Gaara’s deadpan approach to everything, that would probably be too much of a drag. There was too much work to be done there.

Shikamaru didn’t answer, and was about to start another topic when his body stiffened.

It was done. He smiled as the man’s eyes widened as his whole body trembled.

“W-What?” he cried, “I can’t move!”

“That’s because I’m in control of you now,” Shikamaru said, raising his hands slightly just to prove a point. The man before him imitated him.

“You like talking, that’s for sure,” Shikamaru said, “Looks like it worked in my favor—“

There was movement behind him. He felt a spike of chakra and a scream. No, he thought, it couldn’t be.

The man before him grinned and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Shikamaru’s eyes widened as something sharp came to his throat. He made a quick sign out of habit.

In the next moment he was behind the group of kids, watching the other shinobi stab his other self, which collapsed, gasping for air, before turning into a piece of wood. The man cackled, glancing around.

“You didn’t think I’d notice that hand sign, shinobi?” he called, “You underestimate me.”

Shikamaru noticed at the front of the group of kids, the sensei had collapsed. Her students were huddled around her, sobbing but shaking her, asking if she was okay. Shikamaru didn’t usually like kids, but the view made his heart warm.

Despite his current situation, he couldn’t help but spare a thought to Gaara, wondering if he was doing okay. And where was Temari? Was she engaged in a battle somewhere, too?

Shikamaru shifted ever so slightly to grab a handful of shuriken, and he launched them at the back of the man.

The man turned in a second and with several clangs of metal, the shuriken were all blocked by his sword. Shikamaru’s eyes narrowed.

The guy was fast, he observed, and so far he hadn’t really used his sword all that much except to block. The fact that he wasn’t wearing a headband proved as an issue; it gave no hint to Shikamaru what the man’s jutsu could possibly be. But now, because of his headband and being fooled by his clone jutsu, the man knew practically everything about Shikamaru.

What a drag.

The man disappeared and Shikamaru turned around just in time to block his sword attack with a shuriken. The children behind him shrieked. Before him, the man grinned, and Shikamaru frowned before he felt it; a draining feeling. His muscles were going slack, and his chakra was slowly seeping out of him.

Shikamaru parried and leapt back, out of range of the man’s sword, kunai ranged. Now, though he hadn’t been doing much, Shikamaru found himself panting. Damn.

The other shinobi grinned, twirling his sword masterfully.

“Like it?” he asked, “It drains physical stamina and chakra without even a touch. All it has to do is be close enough. Let’s make a deal. You step aside and let me have a hand at the little mongrels, and I’ll let poor sensei live. She’s not looking so good, anyway.”

Behind him, Shikamaru could still hear the call of the students for sensei to wake up.

“Why do you want to hurt children so bad?” Shikamaru asked.

The man tilted his head.

“Why?” he asked, with a grin, “Because it’s fun.”

Shikamaru glared at him.

“You’re sick,” he snarled.

The man shrugged and raised his sword.

“I guess this means you’re not going to take up my offer, then,” the man said, “Shame. And I was honestly going to let the sensei live, too.”

The shinobi attacked. Back and forth he and Shikamaru fought, though Shikamaru found himself defending much more than attacking. He was never strong at close-range, hand-to-hand combat, and that mixed with the sword’s abilities as it swung close to him was quickly wearing on him.

 _But if I disappear now to stall for time to make a plan_ , Shikamaru thought, _there’s nothing stopping this guy from attacking the kids and their sensei._

He was well and truly trapped. His mind went a mile a minute, going through strategies as he dodged another attack and threw a kunai, which was easily blocked. It was hard to concentrate, though; this man was fast, and if Shikamaru didn’t keep on his guard at all times, this fight could be over in an instant.

When he could, he observed his surroundings. Almost all of the buildings were damaged or completely smashed. He guessed that whatever Gaara was battling right now had come through here.

Hopefully the Kazekage was having more luck than he was.

The man attacked again and at the last minute Shikamaru used a substitution, taking the opportunity to hide on top of a nearby roof—one of the only ones insight that was still intact.

Once his fake body disappeared, the man chuckled and turned around slowly, observing his surroundings.

Shikamaru did the same. During their fight, the man had drifted closer to one of the buildings that was still somewhat intact—intact enough, that is, to cast a shadow.

Shikamaru flitted over to it noiselessly. The man was still gazing around, but now milled closer to the kids, who shrieked and moved out of the way. Shikamaru realized the man was headed towards the sensei and made a hand sign.

“Now, now, shinobi,” he called, and Shikamaru stiffened. He was still sure that the guy didn’t know where he was, but the confident tone in his voice was off-putting. “If I feel or see any sort of jutsu or chakra coming from you, I’ll take the sensei’s head off.”

Shikamaru froze. He saw the sensei shift a little on the ground, confirming she was still alive. Shikamaru was pretty confident in his abilities to suppress his chakra, but while using his jutsu? He’d never done that before. Besides, what if the guy spotted his shadow?

He could always try to possess the teacher—but she was in no shape to be made to get up and run, and even then, there were the same issues. Then again, Shikamaru knew by now that anything he threw at the guy would be deflected, and this would give away his position. 

            If he didn’t do something soon, however—he saw the man’s hand tighten around the hilt of his sword—if he didn’t do something soon, the man would start slashing away at the sensei and the kids, and who knew how many would be dead by the time Shikamaru caught him?

            Shikamaru closed his eyes and made his hand sign again.

            There was only one way.

            _I’m sorry._

            There was silence, and then a spike of chakra.

            Without a moment’s hesitation, the man swung his sword, and the sensei’s head went rolling. The screams from the children shattered the air, followed by the startled grunt of the attacker. Shikamaru opened his eyes to find the man trapped by his shadow, looming over the children who held each other and sobbed in horror.

            Shikamaru’s body felt on the brink of collapse.

            In a flash, shouts neared him and several sand Shinobi appeared to apprehend the man. Once he was secure, Shikamaru released his jutsu and, sidestepping the mutters of appreciation, vanished in search of the Kazekage.

 

            Things hadn’t faired much better on the other side of the city. Buildings lay in crumbled ruins, bodies and weapons scattered along the sand. There was no sign of the huge invisible monster from before other than the destruction it had left in its wake. Shikamaru flitted from roof to roof, his eyes peeled for familiar red hair or that huge fan.

            He finally spotted Temari and landed on the roof next to her, joining her on the path towards the main building, which looked for the most part untouched.

            Temari stared straight ahead, her eyes dark.

            “Any ideas who could have done this?” Shikamaru asked.

            Temari shook her head and continued in silence.

            Soon they spotted figures standing at the base of the Kazekage’s tower, and the two leapt down to join them. Among them was Gaara, who looked annoyingly more well-kept than anyone else as if he hadn’t just gone through a battle. The only sign that he’d fought was a tired, dark look in his eye and the tenseness of his shoulders.

            Shikamaru and Temari dropped down next to him. The Kazekage turned to Shikamaru.

            “What happened with the children?” he demanded.

            “They’re all alive,” he said, wincing, “…but their sensei was killed in the battle.”

            “And the assailant?”

            Shikamaru shook his head, and Gaara’s face darkened. Without another word, he turned and swept away, shouting orders to the other ninja around him.

            Shikamaru blinked after him.

            “What the hell was that about?” he asked. Temari sighed and gave him an apologetic look. 

            “Gaara’s just stressed. Don’t take it personally. He’s cold like that to everyone.”

            Shikamaru frowned and glanced in Gaara’s direction before shrugging it off. He and Temari quickly found work in repairing and searching for any lost citizens, and Shikamaru turned his mind away from the Kazekage and his cold gaze.

 

* * *

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> somewhat of a filler ;)

 

* * *

 

 

The next week was spent rebuilding the city and attempting to track down their attackers. Apparently there had been a group of shinobi responsible for the attack, but none knew who had controlled the invisible beast Gaara had fought. It had simply disappeared into thin air, and the only men they’d caught refused to confess what it was or whom it belonged to.

            Shikamaru helped where he could, following orders complicity. All the while, between messages to Naruto and efforts to help rebuild, he kept an eye on Gaara. The Kazekage showed little in his expression, but Shikamaru occasionally caught glimpses of the emotions lurking beneath. Irritation crinkled his brow and worry tugged the corner of his mouth. Even as bags grew beneath his eyes, the man worked tirelessly. He seemed to be everywhere at once. Shikamaru saw him once in the city, speaking with his shinobi about their progress, and again inside speaking in low tones to Temari.

            All the while, the man seemed to avoid Shikamaru.

            He didn’t know what the hell he’d done, but Gaara turned away every time he came near and dismissed his words without so much as meeting his gaze. Temari tried to assure Shikamaru that it was the stress, but Gaara seemed to have no trouble handling anyone else.

            Finally, Shikamaru had enough.

            He stood in Gaara’s office before the red haired man’s desk, reading a report about their rebuilding efforts. The entire time, Gaara did not look at him.

Shikamaru snapped the folder shut.

            He set it on the desk and leaned forward until Gaara was forced to look up and lean back. Confusion flitted across his face.

            “Listen,” Shikamaru began, “I don’t know what I did to piss you off, but I’m sorry. I don’t want to keep working like this when you can barely even look at me. So just tell me what I did already so we can forget about it.”

            Gaara blinked. His eyes were a startling green, and from this close, Shikamaru saw that they had flecks of gold.

            Silence stretched between them. Gaara’s fingers fidgeted with the pen he’d been writing with.

            “…You didn’t do anything.”

            Shikamaru arched an eyebrow.

            “Really?” he drawled. “Then why won’t you look at me?”

            Gaara glanced away but quickly brought his gaze back to Shikamaru. His lips thinned into a firm line.

            “I can’t afford distractions.”

            Shikamaru frowned.

            “Distractions?” he echoed. “How am I a distraction?”

            Perhaps it was the light, but Shikamaru swore he could see pink crawling up Gaara’s neck, staining his delicate, pale skin. The latter swallowed. It was almost amusing, seeing the usually emotionless Kazekage this uncomfortable.

            “It’s hard to focus when you’re around,” Gaara began carefully.

             “Why?” Shikamaru pressed.

            Gaara shook his head.

            “I don’t know. You’re… odd. You take up a lot of space.”

            “You calling me fat?” Shikamaru asked, his lips flickering up. Gaara’s eyes met his, and a ghost of a smile appeared on his mouth before it was gone again.

            “No. You just… command attention. It’s distracting.”

            Shikamaru shook his head and forced himself to push from the desk and straighten. Gaara’s shoulders seemed to sag in relief.

            “I’ve never heard that one before,” Shikamaru admitted. “Thanks, I guess? But I’m not here to distract you. I’m here on business, so… can we try to work together? I don’t like feeling like you’re pissed at me for no reason.”

            Gaara pursed his lips before giving a slow nod.

            “I suppose I can try.”

            Shikamaru smiled.

            “That’s all I ask.”

 

* * *

 

           

            That night Shikamaru returned to his quarters hours after the sun had fallen, his body weary. They were almost finished clearing out the rubble from the attack, but there were many buildings—and bodies—that still needed to be recovered. He padded down the empty halls. Most of the ninjas were either still working or had turned in for the night. Shikamaru fantasized about falling into bed as he neared his rooms.

            Light poured out from the door across the hall from his, having been left open a crack. As he walked by, Shikamaru cast a curious glance in and paused. He caught sight of pale skin and red hair. Gaara’s back was toward him, his shirt abandoned and his black pants hanging low on his hips. His usual gord sat at the side of the bed. As Shikamaru watched, entranced, Gaara’s deft hands came up and hooked beneath the lip of his pants. They tugged the material down, revealing more flesh.

            Arousal curled in Shikamaru’s stomach and he forced himself to turn away as Gaara moved to discard the rest of the material. The leaf ninja hurried into his own room, shutting the door quietly behind him and turning the lock.

            His room was quiet, moonlight seeping in from the tall window overlooking a stretch of desert.

            Visions of milky white skin clung to Shikamaru’s mind as he undressed and turned to bed, sliding beneath the sheets.

            He had never thought of Gaara in a physical way. When they were younger, the other boy was terrifying and blood thirsty. Even now it was sometimes hard to discern between the Gaara Shikamaru had known during the Chunin exams and the Kazekage he worked for now. Admittedly Gaara had much grown, just as Shikamaru had. Gaara was now tall and lean, with corded muscle beneath smooth pale skin, his face thinner and his jaw strong.

            Shikamaru bit his lip and tried in vain to shake these thoughts from his mind, turning over and willing sleep to come to him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The leaf shinobi's words rang in Gaara's mind as he undressed.

_"How am I a distraction?"_

If only he knew.

Gaara cursed himself for being so obvious that the shinobi had caught on. The attack and recovery should have been more than enough distraction for Gaara, and for the most part, it was. But every time Shikamaru was in the room, the Kazekage found his gaze drifting toward him. When he saw him working, Gaara's eyes immediately took in his lean form and the ripple of his arms as he lifted pieces of plaster and stone to help clear out the houses that had suffered during the attack.

Temari had been busy, too; hell, Gaara had barely seen her since the attack. For once, Gaara was grateful. If he was obvious enough that Shikamaru had picked up on his odd behavior, then Temari would definitely have noticed and pestered him about it.

Gaara had thought that ignoring Shikamaru would help, but he would apparently not be allowed to do that any more.

He still recalled Shikamaru leaning over his desk, his brown eyes firm and his breath brushing the lower half of Gaara's face.

Heat flushed up his spine but Gaara ignored it. He glanced over his shoulder and cursed. He'd left the door open again. He padded over, peeking out before shutting it and locking it soundly.

* * *

 


End file.
